Friday, November 12, 2010

A couple months ago, I was out in Dimock, PA, meeting with community members who've been affected by reckless natural gas drilling in and around their town. I was also there to tape an interview with Lesley Stahl, for an episode of 60 Minutes that will air this Sunday.

Dimock has become an unfortunate poster child of dangerous gas extraction, and after spending some time there, it's easy to understand why. Many residents have expressed alarm at how their drinking water has turned brown and made them sick soon after gas drilling started. The water is now too poisonous for most residents near drilling operations to use for drinking or bathing; it will be at least a couple years until a pipeline is built to transfer water from a safe location. Moreover, highly flammable, greenhouse-gas-intensive methane that is believed to have been released from gas drilling or hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") caused one Dimock resident's well to spontaneously combust one day. Methane released from a gas-drilling site has been observed bubbling up in the Susquehanna River, miles away. And while sitting in the front yard of another Dimock resident, I could hear methane gurgling constantly out of a special vent recently installed in their own well.

Concerns about natural-gas extraction have been on the rise not just in Dimock, but in places across the country, from West Virginia to Texas to Wyoming. And yet even given these important issues, natural gas still has a relatively lighter footprint than coal or oil. Gas is not a clean fuel, but it can be cleaner.

So it was with great interest that I heard Obama talking about natural gas last week. In a press conference the day after the election, someone asked if there were issues he might be willing to collaborate on with the new Congress. "We've got, I think, broad agreement that we've got terrific natural gas resources in this country," the president replied. "Are we doing everything we can to develop those?"

Uh oh. Look, I can only imagine the pressures that the president is under on a daily basis. And I can sympathize with the unique challenges the president faces of needing to speak accurately and precisely on a wide variety of topics with the media ready to pounce on any minor nuance or particular slip-up. But what did concern me about the president's statement was a single word that I didn't hear. I hope his question about natural-gas resources omitted that word unintentionally: "Are we doing everything we can to develop those responsibly?"

Clearly, we are not. Not when fracking is exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Air Act, parts of the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, as well as our country's hazardous waste and cleanup laws.

It's important to acknowledge that just because natural gas is cleaner than other fossil fuels -- especially coal -- does not mean we should give the industry a free pass. The exploration, production, transportation, and burning of natural gas is an inherently dirty business that disrupts local communities and pollutes the environment. There are thousands of documented cases of air and water pollution violations and human health and safety hazards. If natural gas is to be part of the mix that displaces dirtier energy sources like coal and oil, these have to be addressed.

Dear President Obama, We—a group of Nobel Peace Laureates— are writing today to ask you to do the right thing for our environment and r...

There was an error in this gadget

GOT INFORMATION?

If you've got information or documents about natural gas in Colorado, we'd love to hear from you. If you have a complaint to file regarding toxic water etc... CLICK HERE , or contact us at WTFrack.org@gmail.com

We will always honor your privacy so if you wish to remain anonymous, please indicate so.................................................

Objectivity and Validation

WTFrack.org does not engage in any illegal activities to acquire any of its information whatsoever. We operate in good faith and only use the open lines of public access that are offered to the general public. WTFrack.org's methods are exponentially effective and efficient in cataloguing, sorting and displaying data. We are investigators and obtain and display factually unaltered information that is open to the public from its source(s). No information was and will ever be obtained through any protected database or website. This information is available to the general public nation-wide.

WTFrack.org logo may be used for non-sale related purposes only. Please cite WTFrack.org and send us a written intent of use.

WTF TWEET

About Us

We are concerned citizens acting in good faith against the destruction of the environment, exploitation of OUR natural resources and the endangerment of public health. The system is not working. Our purpose is to be a resource for the public to make its own objective findings. We want clean air, clean water, clean energy. We want real laws that protect the people and the environment. We want accountability. We are representatives of Democracy. We are you.We are 'Fractivists.'

Denver, Colorado United States

This site has no copyright on the published materials unless otherwise noted. All contents otherwise belong to the original publisher. Re-use only with their permission.

WTFrack.org is not responsible for the expressed opinions of its users. Just like all of the oil companies.

DisclaimerTHIS SITE IS PROVIDED BY THE WTFRACK.ORG ON AN "AS IS" BASIS. THE WTFRACK.ORG MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE OPERATION OF THE SITE OR THE INFORMATION, CONTENT, MATERIALS, OR PRODUCTS INDLUCED ON THIS SITE. TO THE FULL EXTENT PERMISSIBLE BY APPLICABLE LAW, WTFRACK.ORG DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. WTFRACK.ORG WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OF ANY KIND ARISING FROM THE USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS SITE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, AND CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.

IndemnificationYou agree to indemnify WTFRACK.ORG and its officers, directors, volunteers, agents, distributors, and affiliates from and against any and all third party claims, demands, liabilities, costs, or expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, that arise from your use or misuse of this site.